Egypt has freed from prison a top member of an Egyptian militant group that butchered 58 foreign tourists in 1997 but whose jailed leaders have called for a cease-fire, Egypt's official news agency reported on Sunday.

Karam Zuhdi, who heads the policy-making Shura council of Egypt's largest Islamic militant group, al-Gama'a al-Islamiya (Islamic Group) and has spent about 20 years behind bars, was released from jail "after completing the term of his sentence," the official Middle East News Agency (MENA) said.

It said Interior Minister Habib el-Adli had also ordered his release for humanitarian reasons because Zuhdi suffered from coronary problems, diabetes and osteoporosis.

Zuhdi was one of several al-Gama'a members imprisoned for their role in the 1981 assassination of Egypt's President Anwar Sadat. Zuhdi and other jailed leaders of the group called a cease-fire in 1997, a move which divided the group.

A security source confirmed to Reuters that Zuhdi had been set free, but could not say when he had been released or give any further details.

Al-Gama'a took part in a bloody six-year campaign in the 1990s to overthrow the Egyptian government and install a purist Islamic regime, before calling the truce in 1997.

It gained infamy for the massacre of 58 tourists in the southern town of Luxor later that year by a faction opposed to the cease-fire. There have been no militant attacks in Egypt since then.

In recent months, Egypt has published several interviews with jailed al-Gama'a leaders, including Zuhdi, reiterating their commitment to the cease-fire.

Security analysts say the interviews were part of government efforts to give moderate Islamists a louder voice to counter any latent threats from those who still espouse violence.

Some analysts have speculated the government might release people like Zuhdi from jail to give them greater influence in Islamist circles.

MENA said the interior minister had recently said Egypt would release several suspected members of al-Gama'a who had completed their jail terms and had genuinely repented for their crimes.

While most analysts believe a tough Egyptian crackdown has largely destroyed the infrastructure of major militant groups, they say pockets of sympathizers may lurk beneath the surface.

Several analysts have said Egypt may be worried that a new generation of malleable extremists could be influenced by older radicals still underground. Giving the more moderate leaders a greater voice could help them secure larger "market share" among extremists seeking direction, the analysts said.

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